


F is For Falling (and other complications )

by flkeysgal98



Category: Emergency!
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-22
Updated: 2018-03-22
Packaged: 2019-04-06 16:39:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14061060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flkeysgal98/pseuds/flkeysgal98
Summary: When a little fall at a fire turns into something worse for Karen, the only female on the team, the guys rally to help her survive.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N - This was for an alphabet challenge on FanFiction.Net. Karen is an OC I’ve used in a couple of stories. I hope you all enjoy it.
> 
> **originally posted on FanFiction.Net**

  
It was a brutal fire; the house was a complete loss. Station 51, Engine 8 and Engine 16 had been called out in the early evening hours to a structure fire. By the time the fire department arrived on scene, the house was fully engulfed, leaving the family to stand on their front lawn in shock.

Marco and Chet had been sent around to the side of the house, to try to hold back some of the flames so they didn't reach the neighboring houses; Johnny and Roy the other side. Engine 8's linemen and captain were at the back of the house. The two linemen of 16's were working in the front of the house, Karen and Cap working with them.

Karen headed up the stairs so they could get a better handle on the flames beginning to lick up the front porch, Cap backing her up. She was on the last stair, getting ready to get on the porch, when the stair gave way beneath her.

"Karen!" Cap yelled, seeing his youngest crew member go through the stairs. He then turned the hose off, throwing it to the ground. Karen was pulling herself up and onto the deck. She sat down as Cap reached her.

"You okay?" he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. He could see that her shoe was torn up and her left pants leg was torn. She looked up at him then back down to her feet. It was then Cap noticed she was shaking like a leaf. "Come on, let's get you checked out."

"Sure Cap," she replied, standing unsteadily. She walked down the remaining stairs, Cap supporting her on her right side, when she stopped dead in her tracks. Cap glanced at her and was about to ask her what was wrong, but he didn't get the chance as she went down. Her knees buckled as her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Cap took the full brunt of her weight, getting an arm under her legs and held her like a doll. He carried her over to the squad and carefully laid her down.

Cap then yanked his handi-talki out of his pocket, pulling the antenna up. "LA, Engine 51."

"Go ahead 51," Sam Lanier's calm voice came over the radio.

"LA, we have a Code I at this location. Please respond an ambulance and additional squad."

"10-4 Engine 51."

Cap put his HT in his pocket before looking over at his second-in-command. "Mike, keep and eye on her for a minute. I have to go get John and Roy."

"Sure Cap," Mike replied, keeping one eye on the gauges on the engine and the other on the unconscious paramedic.

Cap ran to the side of the house, signaling to Johnny that he needed them. Johnny tapped on Roy's shoulder, letting him know that something was up. Roy turned the hose off, the two men running over to their captain. "What's going on Cap?" Roy asked.

"Karen fell through the front porch stairs. I thought she was okay, until she passed out on me. Mike's watching her now, but I need you guys to look her over." Cap replied, jogging back to the squad with John and Roy in tow.

The two medics took their helmets and turnout coats off before kneeling next to Karen. As much as he hated to, Cap had to leave to continue working on knocking down the fire. A moment after he left, Karen's eyes opened. She tried to sit up, before being gently pushed back to the ground.

"Karen, you need to stay down. We need to check you out," Roy said, checking her pupil response.

She tried sitting up again, "But I'm okay Roy. I just fell through the stairs is all."

"Uh huh, just fell through the stairs is all. You also passed out, so that automatically earns you a trip to Rampart," Johnny replied, getting her vitals.

"Oh thank you, Mr. I'm-Alright-Even-Though-I-Was-Knocked-Unconscious. I'll remember to run that line by you the next time you pass out," Karen replied sarcastically, glaring at Johnny, but she laid back down.

"So, where exactly are you hurt?" Roy asked, opening the biophone, trying to hide the grin on his face, but failing miserably.

"My left leg and foot hurt and my right knee. But I think that's all," she replied, craning her neck to look at the house still engulfed in flames. "Of all things, having a stair give way at a fire. Wonderful."

"It'll be alright. I'm going to cut your pants legs up the knees and take your shoes and socks off. You know the drill, let me know when it hurts," Johnny said, taking his scissors out and cut the legs of Karen's pants then took her shoes off.

As Roy relayed her vitals to Rampart, Johnny was checking her injuries. "Looks like your missing your big toenail. You ripped that baby clean off."

"Funny, didn't feel that," Karen replied, lifting her leg slightly, trying to see the damage for herself. "On the bright side, it took care of my ingrown toenail problem."

Johnny and Roy grinned at each other. "You also scraped your leg. Your right knee is bruised. But other than that, you look okay," Johnny continued, putting her leg down.

"Rampart, she's missing her left big toenail, superficial abrasion and bruises. She had a syncopal episode, but is now conscious."

Roy waited for the response before turning to Johnny. "IV D5W TKO, O2 and transport."

"I knew it! Morton's at the base station again," Karen said, rolling her eyes. Roy grinned before saying, "Actually, its Brackett."

Johnny giggled as he inserted her IV. Karen glared at him. "Don't start Johnny. I could refuse treatment you know."

"You could, but you won't," came Cap's deep voice from behind Roy. He kneeled next to the two medics. "How is she?"

"I'm…"

"Did I ask you?" Cap asked, looking down at Karen. "I was asking the your partners. You're the victim this time."

"She'll be okay Cap. It looks like its all superficial. But Rampart wants us to bring her in to be checked over."

"Okay, sounds good. I had LA send another squad in to cover for you. I believe they are sending 16's. So you guys go ahead and take her in now."

"Sure thing Cap. We'll let you know what happens," Johnny said as Roy was packing up the equipment. The two ambulance attendants lifted Karen to the gurney, then loaded her into the back of the ambulance.

"You going in with her Roy?" Johnny asked, pushing the drug box into the rig.

"Yeah, we'll see you there," he replied, jumping in. Johnny shut the doors and gave the customary two slaps. He then gave Cap a reassuring smile. "We'll call you later Cap."

"I know Johnny. See you back at the barn."

Cap watched as Johnny pulled away from the curb and followed the ambulance. He then turned back to the still raging fire.

E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!

"I told you I was fine," Karen smirked, getting off the exam table. Roy and Johnny rolled their eyes as Dr. Brackett folded his arms in front him. Dixie was grinning at all of them.

"Yes, you did say that. But you need to take it easy for the next few days. If you notice any red streaking coming from the scrape or your toe, you get yourself back in here, you understand? Infection is a very real risk to you at this point."

"Yes, I understand. Can I go back to work now?"

Kel sighed before saying, "I'd prefer that you didn't. You really shouldn't wear any close toe shoes for a little while. I'd like for you to take the remainder of this shift off. When do you guys go back on?"

"We are off for 48 Doc, then we go back on," Johnny answered. This earned him a glare from his partner.

"Okay, then you can go back on your next shift, okay?"

Karen nodded, "Sounds good to me. Are you guys ready to go?" she asked, glancing at her grinning partners.

"Yeah, Dix already got our supplies," Johnny replied, grabbing the box off the counter behind him. They all left the room, Kel stuffing his stethoscope in his pocket. "Thanks Doc." Karen said, limping slightly.

"Your welcome Karen. Just remember to keep your leg propped and take it easy the next few days."

"I will, I promise," she replied, waving as she and Roy and Johnny left the emergency room.

Dixie and Kel watched the trio leave, Joe Early leaving a treatment room and joining the doctor and nurse. "How's Karen," he asked, getting himself a cup of coffee.

"Its all superficial, at this point. She tore the nail off her big toenail and scraped her leg. She already has some bruising, but everything looks good so far. I'm just worried about a secondary infection," Kel replied. It was at that moment that the base station became busy, so any conversations ceased.

E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!

Karen did take it easy the next 48 hours, keeping her foot propped up as much as she could. JoAnne DeSoto, Emily Stanley and Beth Stoker ran over to her house while she was at home. JoAnne made a few meals for her, Beth took her laundry home and did it for her and Emily cleaned her apartment. There was nothing Karen could do, as she was hurting in her toe and leg.

When their next shift rolled around, Karen was so glad to get out of her apartment. She was driving to work and noticed that the sore on her leg was beginning to bother her. She brushed it off, thinking that she had worn shorts the whole time she was at home and wearing pants was the only thing wrong. How wrong that thinking would be.


	2. Chapter 2

She pulled into the station, parking in her normal spot. She grabbed her duffel and made her way into the station. She checked the locker room, making sure none of the guys were there. She then entered, stowing her gear in her locker then headed to the day room.

She grabbed a cup of coffee and the paper and made her way to the couch. "Okay Henry, you have to share today with me," she said, putting her coffee cup on a chair next to the couch before pushing the dog to the other end. She sat down, propping her leg up slightly, before beginning to read the paper. Henry made his way over to her, laying down on her lap and closed his eyes.

Cap and Mike came into the room, glancing over at one third of the paramedic team. "Hey Karen, how are you feeling?" Mike asked, snatching a mug for he and Cap, filling them with coffee.

"Better. I was going stir crazy at home, since I was on a restriction. I'm glad to be back to work," she replied, taking a sip of her coffee, rubbing Henry behind his ears.

"Well, that's great. Hey, to make it easy on you, I'm putting you in charge of cooking and that's it. I want you to take it easy as much as possible today, okay?"

"Yes Cap," Karen replied meekly as Marco entered the room. He was carrying a bag and took it to the counter.

"Morning everyone. Mama sent in tamales and enchiladas for lunch and dinner. So, whoever you were going to assign to cook gets it real easy today. Mama sent all the fixings too."

Karen was practically salivating, "Alright, I love Mama's tamales!"

"Tamales? Did I hear right?" Johnny asked as he, Chet and Roy entered the room.

"Yes, you heard right. Mama made tamales and enchiladas for us," Marco replied, putting all the food into the fridge. As soon as he was done, Cap put his cup on the counter.

"Alright, lets get ready for roll call. Everyone by the engine in five minutes," he said, leaving the room.

Chet walked over and pet Henry. "Hey Kare, how are you feeling?"

"Much better. Cap wants me to relax as much as possible today."

"Good idea. How does your leg and toe look?" Johnny asked, glancing over at Karen.

"Fine. I've been cleaning it at least twice a day. I really do not want an infection."

"No, you don't," Roy agreed, looking at his watch. He put his cup down and looked at the others. "We'd better get out there for roll call."

The other five nodded their assent and made there way into the bay.

E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!

Karen was able to function the whole day, propping her foot up whenever she could in between runs. It was later that evening she noticed a small problem; her leg was becoming painful to walk on. Thankfully the station was quiet for the evening, affording her time to sit and not get up. The boys catered to her, so she could relax.

Cap called for lights out at ten, but Karen was already in bed. She had turned in an hour previous, exhausted. The others walked into the dorm, trying to keep the noise down, as Karen was fast asleep. It didn't take long before light breathing sounds filled the dorm as the other six men fell asleep quickly.

Around four o'clock in the morning, everything changed. Karen woke up with a start, burning up and sweating profusely. She sat up, trying to figure out what was happening. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and into her bunker gear. The moment she stood, she knew something was dreadfully wrong. Her left leg was so painful, she couldn't barely put any weight on it and let out a small cry of pain. It was then the nausea hit her. She ran as fast as she could for the latrines, barely making it, before throwing up.

Unbeknownst to her, Cap and Mike had heard her cry of pain and followed her into the latrines. When they heard her puking her guts up, Mike went back into the dorms and woke Johnny and Roy up, which in turn woke Chet and Marco up. The latter two ran out to the squad to get the gear.

Karen came out of the latrine, hobbling and holding the wall. When she saw her captain, the engineer and two paramedics, she knew she was in for it. She was surprised when Cap and Mike each took an arm and helped her into the dorms, John and Roy leading the way.

They laid her on the bunk as Chet and Marco came back with the gear. Very carefully, Cap and Mike helped get Karen's bunker gear off of her. The first thing they all noticed was how red and swollen Karen's left leg was.

"Karen, when did your leg get that red and swollen?" Johnny asked, opening the biophone on his bed, surprise evident on his face.

"Its been hurting for a few hours. But I didn't know it was red, but I thought something was wrong when I put my bunker pans on," she replied, wincing when Roy laid a hand on her leg.

"Little tender, huh?"

She rolled her eyes as tears formed, "That's the understatement of the year."

"What in the world caused that?" Marco asked, watching as Johnny called the hospital and Roy was getting Karen's vitals.

"It looks like an infection of some sort. How are you feeling Karen?" Roy asked. He was really concerned for the young paramedic.

"Not very good. I feel like I have the worst case of the flu. I ache all over," she replied, crying out when Johnny lifted her leg to put two pillows underneath to prop it up.

"Oh, hon, I'm sorry. Early wants us to keep your leg elevated," Johnny apologized. He felt so bad for hurting Karen, but knew he had to so he could do what Early asked.

"10-4 Rampart, IV Ringer's Lactate, 5mg MS IV, transport as soon as possible," Roy said, putting the handset down, helping Johnny get the required medicine.

"Aw man, I just want to go home to my own bed," Karen said, watching as Johnny started her IV in her right arm.

Sirens could be heard as the ambulance arrived at the station. "Chet, go lead them in," Cap ordered, watching as Roy gave Karen the muscle relaxant.

A moment later, Chet came back, leading the ambulance attendants into the dorm room.

"Okay Karen. We have to move you onto the stretcher. Hang in there, okay?" Johnny said, as he and Roy helped the attendants move her.

"We'll check on you in the morning after we get off," Cap said, standing with his crew, watching as Karen was wheeled out to the waiting ambulance.

"Cap, do you think she'll be okay?" Mike asked, after the ambulance left and Cap turned the lights in the dorm out.

"I don't know Mike, I just don't know."


	3. Chapter 3

"Dear God, cellulitis? No wonder her leg is so swollen," Johnny exclaimed, running a hand through his dark hair, flabbergasted at what they had just heard. He and Roy were in the doctor's lounge, drinking coffee and worrying about their younger partner after Dixie had shooed them out of the exam room. John and Roy exchanged worried glances with each other.

The doctors and Dix had come into the lounge, joining the two paramedics at the table. Dixie filled three mugs with steaming coffee for herself and Kel and Joe. Their faces showed the tension of the past twenty minutes with the youngest paramedic from Station 51.

"Its definitely a nasty infection," Kel replied, taking the cup of coffee that was offered him by Dixie. He took a sip, relishing the warmth.

"Is she going to be okay?" Roy asked, glancing at the two doctors, worry evident in his crystal blue eyes.

"Eventually, but I'm going to warn you, it's going to get worse before it gets better. We started her on IV antibiotics for now, then we are switching to oral. We are going to keep her for a little while so we can keep an eye on the infection and make sure it goes down. She'll need to rest for at least three weeks after we release her and that's a minimum," Joe replied, glancing at the two worried firefighters. To be honest, he and Kel had been worried themselves when Karen had thrown up again once she was in the exam room and her leg was continuing to swell.

Johnny shook his head. "I just don't get it. She rested, kept an eye on her leg. She did what she had been told to do. She was so sick," he said quietly, running his hand through his hair again, sending a glance over at his partner.

"I know John, but even though she did everything right, she still picked up an infection. It just happens sometimes."

"I know Doc. I guess it just looks really bad."

"I know it does. Her poor leg is swollen about triple its normal size. Most likely it will swell more before the antibiotics kick in. We are giving her a pain medicine as well, since her leg is really sensitive right now. She screamed when Dix tried to cover her with a sheet. Anything touching her leg is hurting her so badly. We are going to get her settled upstairs and then we'll let you up to see her," Joe said as he and Kel stood.

"Don't worry, I'll be back to get you guys," Dix said, following the doctors out of the room. Dixie herself was worried, seeing how sick the young paramedic was. She headed back to the treatment room with the doctors to check on their young friend.

E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!

Karen was trying to get comfortable, as comfortable as you could with your leg propped up on two pillows and the skin glowing red. She sighed as she shifted for the umpteenth time, trying not to move her leg.

"This cannot be happening," she said out loud to herself. She stared at the ceiling, so many thoughts running though her head.

She had just found a sweet spot when there was a knock on the door before it opened, revealing Roy and John.

"Hey guys," Karen said quietly, offering a small smile to her partners as they entered her room. She was starting to feel sleepy from the antibiotic that was being pumped into her veins from the IV and the pain medicine that was allowing her to rest without too much pain.

"How are you feeling?" Johnny asked as he sat down next to the bed, Roy on the other side. They both made sure to keep from jostling her leg.

She sighed before answering, "It could be worse I guess."

"Yeah it could be," Roy replied. He could almost feel the heat radiating off of her skin. Seeing her skin red and shiny was very disconcerting.

She cleared her throat before saying, "Thanks for helping me, earlier. I knew something was going on, but I swear it wasn't this bad when I went to bed."

"It's okay. You know we're here for you. I'm just glad it happened at the station and not at your apartment. You may not have been able to call for help," Johnny said.

She nodded her head slightly, "That's true." She then looked down. "How long am I going to be in here?"

"Brackett and Early said a little while. They want to keep an eye on you until the infection goes down," Johnny replied, standing when Roy did.

"Thanks guys, for everything."

Johnny smiled and gave her a thumbs up. "Anytime. You take it easy. We'll come up with the guys to check on you after we get off shift," he said as he and Roy opened the door to her room.

"'Kay," she replied as she watched her partners leave the room. She buried her head deep into her pillow and finally succumbed to the medicine and fell asleep.

E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!

Roy backed the squad into the bay, hoping they didn't wake the engine company. Roy turned the engine and lights off as John jumped out and closed the bay door. The two weary paramedics made their way into the dorm, quietly heading to their bunks.

"How's Karen?" Cap asked, his voice cutting through the silence and darkness and causing Johnny and Roy to jump.

Johnny began pulling his bunker gear off as Roy replied, "She's okay now. We were a little worried for a while. She threw up three more times on the way to the hospital and in the treatment room. Brackett and Early are going to keep her for a little while."

"What's wrong with her?" Mike asked from his side of the room.

"She has cellulitis," Johnny replied as he and Roy climbed into bed.

"What's that?" Chet asked sleepily.

"It's an infection of the skin. Brackett isn't sure where she picked it up, but he said sometimes infections just happen."

"How are they treating it?" Cap asked, punching his pillow. He had been a nervous wreck ever since John and Roy had taken Karen to Rampart. He knew the others had been worried too because no one had slept a wink since the squad had left.

"She's on an IV antibiotic and pain medication. Her skin is very sensitive to any touch. But she was resting as comfortably as she could when we checked on her," Johnny replied as he threw his arm over his eyes.

"Good, at least she was resting," Marco said, relieved that their youngest crew member was doing okay.

It wasn't long before everyone's breathing evened out, as they all fell asleep.

E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!

Karen awoke the next morning, her leg still shiny red and hot to the touch and she was in considerable pain. She still felt like she had the worst case of the flu or food poisoning. She ached everywhere. Just as she was about to call for the nurse, the door to her room opened, revealing Dr. Early and Dixie.

"Good morning Karen. How are you feeling this morning?" Joe asked as he approached her bed on her right. Dixie began to get a fresh set of vitals on her.

"Like I have the worst case of the flu. I'm aching all over and my leg is hurting pretty bad," Karen replied, wincing as Joe examined her leg.

"That's to be expected. You have a nasty infection raging through your system and your body is trying to fight it. Like I told Johnny and Roy last night, its going to get worse before it gets better. But, we can give you something for the pain, so you can rest more comfortably."

Karen looked up at the kindly white haired doctor and gave him a small smile. "That would be great, doc. How long do you think I will be in here?"

Joe thought for a moment before he answered, "At least a week, we need to keep you on the IV antibiotics for at least four to five days, then we'll switch to oral antibiotics. After you get home your are going to need to rest for at least three more weeks after that."

Karen groaned, her head falling back to the pillow in frustration.

"Its going to be okay Karen. We want to make sure your leg heals properly before we let you go," Joe said, placing a comforting hand on the paramedic's shoulder.

Dixie straightened her sheets as she said, "I'll make sure to check on you as much as I can, so you don't get so lonely."

"And I'm sure the guys will be in check on you as well," Joe said, placing his stethoscope back around his neck. He and Dixie headed toward the door. "Don't worry Karen, you'll be out of here in no time. You'll see."

"I hope so doc."

"I'll have the nurse bring you something for the pain. You rest and I'll check on you later," Joe said and he Dixie started out of the room.

"Thank you doc, Dixie," Karen replied, laying her head back once more. Once the nurse had come and had given her pain medication, Karen drifted off into a somewhat restful slumber.

E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!

The shift ended quietly, which all were certainly grateful for. Doctor Early had called the station to updated the worried firefighters on their youngest crew member's condition. He had told them that she had been given pain medication that would help her sleep for at least a few hours. The six men of A shift decided to wait before they headed to the hospital to see Karen.

So the men headed to their favorite diner and had breakfast. They discussed the fact that Karen was going to be in the hospital for almost a week and would certainly be bored by the afternoon. They decided to stop and get her a few things to hopefully pass the time.

Three hours later, they met up in the hospital parking lot and went in through the emergency entrance, knowing they could talk to Dixie and Doctor Early before they headed up to Karen's room.

They found not only Dixie and Dr. Early at the base station, but Brackett and Morton as well.

"Hey guys! Here to see Karen I see," Dixie said, smiling at the six men. Brackett and Morton were pouring themselves a cup of coffee, Dixie and Early already had one.

"Sure are. We were wondering if you had been into see her since we talked to you," Cap asked, as the rest of his crew huddled around the base station.

"I checked on her about twenty minutes ago. She was still asleep, but she should be waking up any time now," Joe said, sipping his coffee.

"She's lucky she was at the station when she got sick. No telling how long she would have gone before getting treatment had she been at home," Brackett said, standing next to Dixie.

"We were thinking the same thing," Johnny said as the base station came alive. Brackett set his cup down and headed into the small room.

Dixie pointed to the elevator as she stood up, "Room 515."

"Thanks Dix," Roy replied as he and the other firefighters headed to the elevators, the two doctors and one nurse heading in the other direction.

E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!

Karen had just woken up, feeling somewhat better than she had that morning. The aching feeling was almost gone which made her happy. Her leg was down to a dull throb, but still red and radiating heat. She turned in the bed, since she had been in the same position for almost the whole day. She had just gotten comfortable when there was a knock on her door. "Come in," she called, trying to sit a little higher in the bed.

The door opened to reveal the members of A shift, all with their arms loaded. "Hey Karen! How are you feeling?" Cap asked as he and the others unloaded their arms and found places to sit.

"A little better. I don't ache like I did this morning. My leg is only a dull throbbing right now. But its still pretty hot," she replied, looking around at her crewmates.

"Good. You had us all pretty worried last night, mi amiga," Marco said, stacking the crossword puzzle book with the magazines he had bought for the ailing paramedic. Cap had placed a vase of flowers on her beside table while the others began unloading their bags that they had brought with them.

"What is all this?" Karen asked, looking around at the various items that were being stacked around her.

Roy spoke up first, "We knew you would be bored in here and that you don't watch soaps. So we thought we would get you some stuff to keep you busy."

"And the fact that you're going to be in here for a week, we didn't want you bothering the staff," Chet added jokingly as he stacked a few paperback books next to her.

"Thanks guys! This means a lot to me," she replied as she began looking through the stack of magazines that Mike had picked up. She noticed Roy taping something to the wall. "What's that?"

Roy turned around as he tore off another piece of tape. "Joanne told the kids that Aunt Karen was sick and in the hospital. Chris made you a get well card. Jenny made you like ten of them," he replied grinning.

"Well, tell the kids I said thanks. They definitely make the room brighter," Karen replied, yawning. Cap noticed, but wisely didn't say anything as he and Mike set up the record player next to her bed. It didn't take long for the guys to finish, but Karen's eyes began to droop.

"Karen, we're going to head out of here, but we'll be back to visit soon, okay?" Cap asked as he and the others stood.

"Okay. Thanks again, for everything," she replied, sweeping her hand around to all the items the guys had brought.

"No problem. You concentrate on getting better," Johnny said.

"I will," Karen said as her eyes closed and her breathing evened out. The guys quietly left the room together and headed out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N – I will warn you, it does get a little graphic, if you will, in the middle of this chapter. It's a necessary evil I guess. Just don't say I didn't warn you. Also, I wasn't expecting such a long chapter, but it kinda wrote itself. 
> 
> The idea for this story came from personal experience; however, I was not admitted to the hospital, although I really should have been considering how bad and long it took me to heal. But timeline wise, Karen is following in my steps with the challenges and emotions I felt. Just a side note, it took almost a full year to heal from just a simple scrape and toenail ripped off. Cellulitis is nothing to play around with. Hind sight is definitely 20/20. And now, on with our story...

Karen had been in the hospital for four days, the swelling starting to go down, but not enough for the likings of Dr.s Early and Brackett. They could not figure out why, despite IV antibiotics and her leg propped up higher than her heart, Karen's leg wasn't looking any better. It was on the fifth day they got their answer.

Nurse Susan Kilroy, the RN on duty, entered Karen's room quietly, as her patient was asleep from all the meds she had been receiving. She made her way to Karen's bedside, laying the new bag of IV antibiotics down. Susan was reaching for the bag that was empty when she noticed what looked like a growth on the outer side of Karen's affected leg.

She stopped what she was doing immediately and took a closer look. After a moment or two, she slipped out of the room and headed for the nurses station. She dialed a familiar number and waited until the party on the other end picked up. "Dixie? Its Susan. If you can, please send Dr. Early up to Karen Summer's room. I need him to take a look at her leg. Thanks," she said, hanging up the phone and making a note in the chart while she waited on Dr. Early's arrival.

Susan didn't have to wait long. She heard the elevator ding as the doors opened, revealing not only Dr. Early, but Dr. Brackett and Dixie as well. "Susan, what's going on with our star patient?" Joe asked as Susan met them at Karen's door.

"I had gone in to change her antibiotics when I noticed what looked like a growth on her leg. When I checked it, it feels more like an abscess. I held off on giving her the new bag of antibiotics until you got here," Susan replied, opening the door.

"Good Susan, thank you," Kel said as the four medical personnel made their way into the room. Karen was still asleep, but as soon as Dixie turned the lights on in the room, she stirred and woke up.

"Hi docs, Dixie, Susan. What's going on?" Karen asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she sat up a little. She noticed the worried looks on the four faces standing around her.

"Well Karen, it seems we need to take a closer look at your leg. Susan noticed something when she came in a few minutes ago and wanted us to check it out," Joe replied as he and Kel began to examine her leg.

Dixie noticed that Karen's face was sporting a freaked out look, while trying to get a peek at what the doctors were looking at. "What is it? Is it bad?"

Joe looked up and at the panicked paramedic. "It looks like an abscess is forming on your leg."

"Oh crap!"

Joe put a comforting hand on the paramedic's shoulder. "It'll be okay Karen. I promise."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure. Don't worry."

"So, if it is an abscess, doesn't that mean you'll have to drain it?"

"Yes, it looks like we'll need to do an I&D," Kel said, looking over at Joe. "We could do it downstairs, in one of the treatment rooms. Make sure its cleaned out completely."

Joe glanced back down at Karen's leg. "Yeah, that might be a good idea. We can bring her back when we're done." He glanced back at the young woman, "Sound good Karen?"

"I guess," she replied, still looking worried.

"And we'd better hold off on any more antibiotics until we know what we are dealing with. We'll go ahead and take a culture to make sure what we have been giving you is working," Joe added.

Dixie gave the paramedic a reassuring smile before looking to the two doctors, "I'll get treatment room 6 ready. Susan, can you have her brought down?"

"Sure thing. I think we can use a wheelchair down and back. I'll bring her down in a few minutes," Susan said as she left the room to get an orderly and a wheelchair. Dixie followed the other nurse out, leaving the two doctors momentarily in her room.

"Karen, it really is a simple procedure. Don't worry too much, okay?"

"I'll try," she replied, unable to hide the worry from her face.

"Do you want us to call the guys?" Kel asked.

"It might be a good idea. If they come up here while I'm down in Emergency, well, you know them," Karen replied, smiling slightly.

Joe nodded, "Yeah, we do know them, they'll be tearing this hospital apart looking for you."

"I'll have Dixie call them. We'll see you downstairs, Karen," Kel said as he and Joe left the room.

Karen laid her head back, closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths. She was trying to calm her nerves, but wasn't having much success. She was so scared, irrationally her mind was telling her, but her heart wasn't having any part of it. Her biggest fear was that she could lose her leg, something that couldn't happen if she wanted to go back to being a paramedic and firefighter.

She shoved the disconcerting thoughts out of her mind as her door opened, revealing an orderly pushing a wheelchair and Susan behind him. "Ready Karen?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied, sitting up and carefully swinging her legs over the bed.

"Easy Karen, easy. Carl, help me keep her off that leg," Susan replied as she and Carl carefully maneuvered the young paramedic into the wheelchair. Carl moved the footrest up so that her leg would be elevated on the trip down. Susan placed a pillow under Karen's leg and then folded a blanket over lap. "Okay, I think we're ready to go."

Carl pushed Karen out of the room, then Susan took over. She glanced down at Karen as they waited for the elevator. Karen's eyes were looking around, since she hadn't really been out of her room in the past four days. The elevator opened and Susan backed her patient in, facing the doors. "You okay hon?"

"Yeah, I'm good," Karen replied, glancing back and giving the nurse a small smile.

"Good, because there's really nothing to worry about. It'll be over before you know it. Once your leg gets a little better, I can arrange for your to leave your room each day, so your not trapped in there. Sound good?"

Karen's face beamed with joy. "That would be great! I hate looking at the same four walls."

"I'm sure you do hon," Susan replied as the car stopped and the doors opened to the Emergency Room. Karen couldn't believe it when Susan pushed her out of the elevator. There, standing near the base station, was her co-workers.

"Look who I ran in to when I got back down here," Dixie said, smiling as she pointed to the guys.

"I didn't know you guys were coming up already!" Karen exclaimed as Susan stopped her wheelchair in front of the desk. She was so happy to see her friends.

"Yeah, we figured you could use some company," Cap said, glancing down at his youngest crew member.

"Cool! Well, it is going to have to wait for a little while," Karen said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Dix filled us in," Roy said as Brackett and Early joined the small group.

"I'm glad she did, but fellas we need to get her into the treatment room so we can take care of her leg. You guys can wait either in the lounge or in her room, which ever you prefer until she's done," Kel offered.

"We'll wait in her room, if that's okay with you Karen?" Cap asked.

"That's fine with me, but if one of you short sheets my bed, there's going to be hell to pay!" Karen replied, grinning. The others laughed as Joe and Kel motioned Susan to the treatment room.

Karen waved as the six men entered the elevator and Susan pushed her to the treatment room.

E!E!E!E!E1E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E1E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E1E!E!E!E!

Karen was laying on the treatment room bed, her head slightly elevated. Dixie had prepped her, making sure there was a towel underneath her leg and cleansed the area with iodine. Joe was looking the abscess over when he glanced up at Kel. "Do you see what I see?"

"No, what Joe?"

"We can't give her a local. There's really no area that we can inject it without hurting her worse."

Kel looked down and frowned. "You're right Joe. Karen, it looks like we'll have to give you some pain meds instead. Dixie, lets go with 5mg meperidine IV."

Dixie nodded, getting the pain meds and injecting a now scared looking Karen. "We're going to give the meperidine a few minutes to get onboard before we start. Don't worry," Joe replied, patting her shoulder. Karen began breathing a little bit heavier, the anxiety making her heart beat a little faster as well.

"Karen, its going to be alright. Just give the meds a few minutes to work," Kel said.

A few minutes later the meperidine began to kick in and Kel and Joe moved back to Karen's leg to begin. Dixie stood at Karen's side, watching the two doctors work.

Joe held up the towel while Kel made an incision in the middle of the abscess, the infection pouring out of the opening. As soon as Kel started, Karen had a death grip on the sheets. Dixie took her right hand, allowing Karen to squeeze as tight as she wanted.

Karen could feel the pressure as Kel and Joe worked on her leg. Five minutes later Kel looked up at his patient, noting how pale she looked. "Karen?"

"Yeah?"

"I hate to do this, but with an abscess, they have like little combs that if we don't break them open, the abscess will just close over again, letting the infection fester all over. I'm going to have to use the bottom of my hand and push to break those little combs up. Just hang tight, we're almost done."

Karen could just nod, concentrating on breathing as deep as she could. Dixie noticed how pale she was looking. "You okay Kare?"

She shook her head. "I feel sick. Just trying to breath through it." Dixie held her hand tighter as Kel was pushing on the abscess.

Finally, after ten minutes, Kel pulled back. By this time, Karen had tears streaming down her face, the pain meds having wore off some. She watched as they cleaned up her leg, slathered on Neosporin before covering the site with 4x4s and a clean bandage.

"All done Karen. Looks better now. Since we lanced that, your leg doesn't look as red as it did when you got here. Looks like the abscess was putting pressure on your leg. We're going to send a culture down to the lab to see what is going on with your leg. We should have the results in an hour or so. So we'll send you back upstairs and you can visit with the guys. Once we have the results we'll be up, okay?" Joe said as he and Kel cleaned up.

"Thanks docs. I appreciate it."

"No problem. Lets get you back in the wheelchair. Since Susan had to head back upstairs, I'm sure Dixie wouldn't mind giving you a ride back up," Kel added as he and Joe helped Karen off the table and back into the wheelchair.

"Don't mind a bit. And I'm sure the guys will help me get you settled in bed once we get up there," Dixie replied as she pushed Karen to the door. Karen looked up to the doctors as they followed. "Thanks again."

"No problem Karen. Try to rest some when you get upstairs. Dix, make sure her leg is elevated for a while."

"Sure Kel," Dixie said as she and Karen made their way to the elevators.

E!E!E!E!E1E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E1E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E1E!E!E!E!

"I wonder how much longer she's going to be," Chet remarked, looking at his watch. They had been in Karen's room for close to a half an hour, talking and waiting for their crewmate to return.

"I don't know Chet, but it can't be much longer. It doesn't really take that long to have an I&D done," Johnny replied from his spot on the empty bed in the room.

"I guess I still don't really understand what they are doing to her," Chet said, watching Cap pace the floor. Dixie had tried, but all he could figure out was that she was in a little trouble from the infection and they had to take a culture.

Roy spoke up. "Well Chet, the abscess is holding in a lot of infection and other material that the body doesn't need. So, by abscessing, it walls the infection off from the rest of the body, so as to not spread the infection system wide. When they do an I&D, they have to cut open the abscess in the center and drain the material and infection out."

Mike shivered slightly. "Geez, that sounds painful. Poor Karen."

"Yeah I know," Marco added. No one spoke for a few moments, lost in their own thoughts.

A bump at the door caused six heads to swivel in the same direction. Cap, having been near the door, opened it, revealing Karen and Dixie.

"Hey guys! Glad you waited," Karen said as Dix wheeled her in the room.

"Well we had to, so we could make sure you were okay," Mike replied as he stood along with the others.

"I'm glad you guys did. Could I get some takers to help get her settled into the bed?" Dixie asked, looking around. Mike, Cap and Johnny were the closest, so they helped to lift the ailing paramedic back into her bed. Dixie got her leg elevated and patted her on her shoulder. "Now if you need anything young lady, you call. Kel and Joe should be up here after a while."

"Thanks Dix, for everything."

"No problem Karen. Guys, make sure she stays in bed and rests," she said, wagging her finger playfully at the crew.

"We will Dixie, you have my word," Cap replied as the nurse left the room.

Once she was settled, the others found their spots to also get comfortable. "So, how did it go Karen?" Marco asked.

She sighed, looking around the room. "Okay I guess. Brackett gave me some pain meds since they couldn't give me a local. Needless to say it wore off after about five minutes of him pushing. God I hope I never have to do that again." She shifted slightly before grinning. "Well, at least non of you messed with my sheets. Hey how did last shift go?"

"Not bad. Gage here had a few visits from the Phantom," Chet smirked as Johnny rolled his eyes.

"Your "Mad Bomber" routine is getting a little old you know." He looked over at Karen. "The Phantom started with water then went to flour. I looked like the white knight."

Karen laughed at the thought of John Gage head to toe covered in white. "It was pretty funny," Marco added softly, earning him a glare from the paramedic.

"If you think its so funny, let him try it on you!"

The others joined in the laughter. "You forgot the Oreos and milk," Mike also added, causing the others to begin another round of laughter.

"Okay, what are you talking about Mike?" Karen asked, not sure if she really wanted to know.

"Kelly decided to add wax paper to the creams of the Oreos and added lemon juice to the milk to make it soured. Lovely," Johnny said rolling his eyes again.

"Dear God Kelly, what did you feed the Phantom yesterday? I think he went a little overboard."

"Yeah he went a little overboard. Latrine duty is going to teach him how far is too far," Cap added, crossing his arms and leveling a glare at the Irishman.

"Cap got some of the doctored up Oreos," Mike explained, trying hard not to laugh at his commanding officer but failing miserably.

Roy decided to step in before anyone else received latrine duty from their captain. "Thankfully it was a quieter shift than normal. We only had I think ten or eleven runs between all of us."

Karen whistled, "Wow that is slow."

They talked for over an hour, relaying some of the funnier runs they had had the past few shifts. Chet was in the middle of one of the more funnier ones when there was a knock at the door. It opened slightly as Brackett and Early looked in.

"Can we join this party?"

"Sure docs, come on in," Cap answered, pulling the door open while the doctors entered.

"How are you guys?" Joe asked, glancing around the room. A chorus of "Fine Doc"s answered him.

"Good, good. Karen do you mind if the guys stay while we talk about you?" Kel asked.

"Sure Doc. I don't mind," she replied. "So, how am I?"

"Well, we found out we were treating you with the wrong antibiotics. The one we were giving you was for a staph infection. According to your lab results, you have a strep infection in your leg."

"How is that possible Doc? I mean, don't you only get a strep infection in your throat?" Mike asked, looking as confused as the others.

"On our skin, we all have naturally the bacteria staph and strep. Most cases of strep does show up in your throat. But sometime, it'll show up in other places. I've seen cases of rashes caused by strep. At least now we can treat your infection with the right antibiotics. I checked your chart and it doesn't show that your allergic to any of the penicillins. So we are going to start you on IV penicillin right away to get the infection cleared up. We should start seeing improvements in a day or so. If it reduces the swelling significantly, we will switch you to oral penicillin and send you home. Sound good?"

Karen breathed a sigh of relief as she answered Joe, "Yes, that sounds fantastic!"

"Good. Kel and I are going to check your leg in a day or so to make sure the abscess didn't wall off. If it does, we'll have to I&D it again."

"Thanks doc," Karen replied.

"No problem. We're just glad we figured out what was going on with you. You guys staying long?" Kel asked as he and Joe were about to leave the room.

"For a little bit longer. Then we'll let her rest," Cap replied as he and the doctors left the room, Chet finishing his story from earlier.

Cap stopped the two doctors before they could go far. "Doc, is she going to be able to work again? I mean, will this impair her in any way?"

Joe replied, "It doesn't look like its going to affect her much in the future. We just need to knock the infection out. She can't go back to work until we clear her system and get her off the meds. But it does look good Hank. Don't worry, okay?"

"I won't, thanks Doc," Cap replied, rubbing his hands together. He had been so worried about the young paramedic and all she had been through the past two weeks. He breathed a sigh of relief as he heard Chet talking animatedly and the others laughing loudly. He then turned back and entered into Karen's room again.


	5. Chapter 5

Karen was sitting in her room, day eight of her extended stay in Hotel Rampart, looking out the window and watching the traffic outside. Dixie had delivered her back to her room an hour before after Joe and Kel had to perform a second I&D on her leg in less than three days. Thankfully, it hadn't been too bad the second time around. This time, however, Joe explained to her that he would be packing the abscess with wicking. This was to pull the rest of the infection away from the wound and allow her to heal from the inside out.

She was grateful that the penicillin had started to work the day before. She was also relieved that the swelling, redness and tenderness was finally going down in her leg. But sitting in the room, by herself had started to take a small toll on her. She didn't really understand it. She loved when the guys came by, but she was still haunted by how bad the infection was and could have been. She had it confirmed by Doctor Brackett just the day before. He had told her that if she had not been at the station and had prolonged the time in seeking treatment, based on the severity of the infection, it would have most definitely turned into sepsis and could have possible taken her life.

She continued to stare out the window, watching all the goings on outside the hospital with some interest. She saw an ambulance back in with a squad following.  _I wonder_   _what happened? Is it a pregnant woman, about to give birth for the first time? An accident victim? Someone having a heart attack?_ She realized that she was longing to be the one in the ambulance, helping the victim, whatever they were going through.

Karen sighed, knowing that she was really missing her job. Since her parents died ten years ago, working as a firefighter had been the biggest part of her life and had kept her going through the worst times. Then, one day, a few years after the accident, she decided that no one needed to go through what she had been through. Becoming a paramedic had been the best decision she could have ever made.

But, as she stared out the window, old insecurities began to nudge their way into her mind. Being the only woman in a station full of men really made her question how close she really was to them. Oh she knew that on a rescue they had her back and wouldn't let anything happen to her. That was the kind of brotherhood she belonged to. But off the job, she just didn't know.

She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. _That medicine is really throwing me for a loop. I mean, at least one of the guys has been here to check on me everyday. And they did bring me all those books and magazines and everything, to keep me from being bored._ She smiled as she glanced over at the wall near her bed and saw all the cards that the DeSoto kids had sent to her. They had brightened up her room more than they would ever know.

As she looked back outside, trying to shove the negative thoughts back, she did vow to herself that she would not put the guys out by asking them to help her once she was released from the hospital. She knew she could do it on her own and they had already done so much for her.

It was that moment she heard a knock at the door that pulled her momentarily out of her mind and the thoughts that were coursing through it. "Come in!"

Kel and Joe poked their heads in, expecting to see Karen in bed, but surprised to see her up in a chair by the window, her leg propped up with a couple of pillows, thanks to one special head ER nurse.

"How are you feeling Karen?" Joe asked, taking a seat across from her, Kel choosing to stand near her feet and lean on the chair.

"Good. Glad that you did that I&D again. But the drainage is tickling my leg. I want to scratch it so bad, but I can't," she said with a smile, proving her point by lightly trying to scratch at the bandage on her leg.

"I bet. It's the wicking draining the infection. That's a good sign that its working."

"I'm glad that it is," she replied, glancing out the window when she heard a siren in the distance.

"We've got some good news for you Karen," Kel said, bringing her gaze back to the two doctors in the room.

"What good news would that be?" she asked, curious as to why the two ER doctors had come by in the first place.

"You my friend are getting sprung tomorrow."

She looked at the two doctors incrudiously. "Seriously?! I get to go home?"

Joe and Kel smiled in her direction. "Yes. Your leg is healing nicely since we took you off the IV antibiotics and switched to oral ones. So, we discussed the fact that you will most likely get more rest at home than here, and so we decided that you should be released."

"Thanks! I've been wanting to go home since day one," Karen replied, offering a small smile to the two men whom she counted as her friends.

"We know you have Karen. You won't be able to drive for about a week, and you need to rest as much as possible. If you can, keep your leg propped above your heart to allow more of the swelling to go down. Also, with the wicking, you'll need to cut it about a half and inch each day until its all gone. I would recommend doing this after you shower, so you can put a new dressing on your leg. We're going to send you home with supplies to last you until your appointment with us, which will be two weeks from tomorrow." Joe looked to Kel, as if to ask if he had forgotten anything. When Kel didn't say anything, the two doctors looked back to their young charge. "Just make sure you get a ride home and take it easy. I know they guys will make sure you are well taken care of," Joe added smiling fondly at the young paramedic.

"I'll be alright. I'll take care of myself, you have my word on that," she said solemnly.

"Good, good. Well, you'd better rest some and we'll see you in the morning to give you your walking papers," Kel replied as he and Joe stood. Karen got up as well, taking her pillows and tossing them onto her bed. She carefully hobbled over and climbed in bed, Joe propping her leg back up and Kel helping her get settled.

"Thanks," she said sincerely as the doctors smiled.

"Anything for our star patient," Joe replied as he and Kel headed to the door.

"I really do appreciate all you guys have done for me. I mean that."

Joe and Kel smiled warmly at Karen, happy that she was doing so well. "Your very welcome Karen. I'm glad we were her to help," Kel said as he and Joe left the room. She sighed, laid her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep.

E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!

Dixie was sitting at the base station working on the schedule, but her thoughts kept turning to the young paramedic upstairs. She had detected some small changes in Karen's personality the past few days. She noticed that Karen had become quieter, almost pensive when she was by herself. Not that she hadn't been her usual self when the guys came in, but it was just when she was alone. Dix hoped that she was imagining it. _It's not like people's attitudes change overnight_ , she thought to herself as she erased the same spot for the second time on the paper in front of her.

The more Dix sat and thought about it, the more she realized that either she or someone else really needed to talk to Karen and figure out what exactly was running through that head of hers.

Dixie heard the elevator ding, signaling that someone was stopping at her floor. She looked up when the doors opened, revealing an orderly, pushing Karen in a wheelchair. She was startled, to say the least, because she knew no one was from A-shift was there to pick her up; they were all on shift.

"Hi Dixie. Brackett and Early sprung me this morning," Karen said, giving Dixie a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"I see that. Karen, how are you getting home?"

"I called a cab," she replied knowing that the ER nurse wouldn't be happy with her. Before Dixie could protest, Karen held a hand up. "Look, Dix, the guys are on shift, and I didn't want to bother them. And Joanne has two kids to get ready for school and Emily Stanley works an early shift. I didn't want to put any one out. Plus, I haven't taken a cab in a while," she said, trying to grin and show Dixie that everything was alright.

Dixie crossed her arms, trying to gauge what in the hell was going on with the young paramedic. When the nurse didn't say anything, Karen took it as her cue to exit. She glanced up to the orderly. "I'm ready, the cab is picking me up at the front entrance to the emergency department."

The orderly, for his part, had no idea what was going on between the two women, but dutifully pushed the young lady in the wheelchair to the emergency room entrance. Dixie, for her part was thoroughly flabbergasted at Karen's actions.

Kel came out of treatment room 3, putting his stethoscope around his neck. He saw Dixie staring down the hallway unseeingly. As he went by her to get coffee, he touched her elbow gently, startling her in the process.

"I'm sorry Dix. I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay Kel," she responded, unable to shake the feeling that something was not exactly kosher with Karen.

"Dix, is everything okay?" Kel asked, noting the look his head nurse had in her eyes. He slid a cup of coffee in front of her, hoping to coax her into talking.

"I don't know Kel. Did you and Joe release Karen?"

"Yes, she was released this morning. Why?"

"She just left, alone."

"What? Didn't one of the guys come get her?" Kel asked, not liking where the conversation was going.

"No. I asked her how she was getting home. She said was that she called a cab." Dixie shook her head in disbelief. "Kel, I've never seen her like this before."

"I'm surprised she didn't have one of the guys pick her up. We told her yesterday that we would be releasing her this morning."

"They're on shift today. But that's not what's bothering me Kel. She acted alright around the guys or when anyone went into her room to visit or check on her. But, something's not right and I can't put my finger on it. I just don't like it Kel."

Kel looked down into his cup, as if it could reveal the answers to the universe. "I don't know what to tell you Dix. She's healing nicely with her leg and her infection is pretty much gone. But, mentally, being so sick could affect her emotions. I can call the station and talk to Hank. He seems to be the one that can get through to her out of everyone she knows."

Dix nodded, giving the ER doctor a small smile. "I'd appreciate it Kel. She has me a little worried."

"I know Dix. I'll go call him," Kel said, putting his cup down and heading for his office, Dixie watching him go. _I hope Hank can get through to her. I'd hate to see something else happen to her_ , Dixie thought as she took a sip of coffee and started to work on the schedule once again.

E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!

Karen shut the door to her apartment, leaning heavily against it and letting out a breath she had been holding in for a few moments. _Finally made it home_ , she thought as she turned and locked the door. She smiled, a genuine smile that had not been there while she was in the hospital.

She stayed against the cool wood for a minute longer before she took the bag Brackett had given her with her supplies to clean her leg and laid it on her living room table. She then hobbled her way to the kitchen, getting herself a glass of water before she shuffled her way to her bedroom. Karen set the glass of water on her night stand, depositing her medication on the stand as well. She then looked through on of her drawers, pulling out her favorite pajamas and slipped into them. _I haven't been this comfortable in days_!, she thought, smiling, as she threw her clothes into her dirty hamper.

Karen then took the phone of the hook, figuring that someone from Rampart would be calling the guys at the station; they in turn would be calling to get on her for not telling them she would be discharged. She just didn't want to talk to anyone and she couldn't figure out why. She kept rationalizing that she just didn't want to inconvenience the guys or their families. They had too much to take care of, and she was a big girl.

She placed a few pillows at the foot of the bed and took a few to the head of the bed so she could sit up comfortably and read for a little while. She sighed as sat down and sank into the comfort of her bed. She knew she needed to take it easy; she really didn't want to end up with an ulcer in her leg. She decided to read, so she leaned down and grabbed blindly for a book from her nightstand. She giggled when she saw the title. _The Princess Bride! Haven't read this in a while. This should keep me entertained_ , she thought to herself, turning eagerly in the book to get lost in the action, humor and romance of the story.

E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!

It had been a mild shift so far for the engine, for the squad not so much. Gage and DeSoto had been out since shift change and they had worked through lunch, again. Cap heard the door open and motioned for Marco to get the paramedics their plates of food before they got another run. The squad was backing up when the phone started ringing. Cap crossed the floor in just a few steps, picking up the handset as Gage and DeSoto entered the room, heading straight for the table for the food Marco had set out for them.

"Station 51 Captain Stanley speaking."

"Hank? This is Kel Brackett."

"Hi doc! How's Karen doing? Are you going to release her soon?" When an answer didn't come forthright, Cap could tell something was wrong. "Doc what's going on?" Hearing the worry in their captain's voice had all the men looking in his direction.

"Did Karen call you guys?"

Now Cap was starting to get worried. "No, why?"

"We released Karen from the hospital this morning. Dixie said that she had apparently called a cab and then left."

"She WHAT?!" All the men in the day room were startled at Cap, who quite frankly looked like he could spit nails.

"I know, I know. I was just as surprised as you are. I was under the assumption that she had called you guys and would have had someone give her a ride home."

"No, we didn't know. She never called, Doc."

"I'm sorry about that. I really wish Joe and I had known before we sprung her. But Hank, there is another troubling matter. Dixie said Karen hadn't been herself the past few days. Have you or any of the guys noticed anything?"

"No, nothing out of the ordinary. She was fine whenever we stopped by to check on her."

"Could you talk to her Hank? Dixie said she's been quieter than normal the past few days."

"You bet I'm going to call her as soon as I get off here. I am going to get the bottom of this, one way or another."

"I'm glad to hear you say that Hank. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help."

"I will Doc, thanks," Cap replied, slamming the phone down harder than he should have. He sighed heavily, his head hitting the wall over the phone. The others had been watching the exchange their captain was having with one of the doctors from Rampart. Johnny's curiosity got the better of him as Cap turned from the phone and went to get a cup of coffee.

"Cap? Is everything alright?"

He turned, leveling a glare at no one in particular. "No, actually its not Johnny. It seems Karen was released a couple of hours ago from the hospital. Dixie told Bracket that Karen called a cab and left."

Shock and disbelief registered on each man's face before a chorus of "What?" and "You've got to be kidding me!"s filled the room. Cap held his hands up, silencing his men.

"I have no idea what is going on with that girl, but like I told Brackett, I'm going to get to the bottom of this." Cap said angrily as he stalked out of the room and into his office.

Cap pulled out Karen's file and called her only number listed. He listened angrily as he got a busy signal. _She took the damn phone off the hook! As soon as I get off shift I am going over there to talk to her_ , Cap thought to himself as put her file away. He took a few cleansing breaths, trying to bite back his anger at his youngest paramedic. Yes ma'am, we are going to have long talk when I get over there.

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

Karen woke up with a start, the room dark. She looked at the clock. _Eight o'clock? Can that be right? I've been asleep for over six hours! Oh crap, I need to take my medicine_ , she thought to herself as she turned the lamp on, placed her book to the side and grabbed her medicine off the night stand. She opened the container and shook out the correct dosage, before tossing them to the back of her throat and taking a drink of water. _Ugh. I hate pills_ , she grimaced, setting the glass back down.

She tossed the covers off, and slid her legs to the edge of the bed. Her stomach grumbling loudly reminded her that she had not eaten since early that morning, before she had been discharged from the hospital. She stood up, inwardly pleased that her leg was not hurting very much. As she made her way to the kitchen, she hoped that she still had some TV dinners in the freezer so she could just heat one up instead of trying to cook a full meal.

She turned the light on in the room and headed for her fridge. She opened the door to the freezer, surprise written on her face. _Where did all this food come from?_ she thought as she started pulling a few of the labeled containers out and read them. _Tamales? Mamma Lopez has been over here. Wait, is that lasagna? So that means Joanne has too. Oh, you've got to be kidding me, so has Emily. There's a container of her roast chicken and all the trimmings._

Karen took the container of tamales and heated it up in her microwave for three minutes, taking the opportunity to sit down while she waited. She began looking around and noticed that there was something different about the room. _They've cleaned my kitchen! Who let them in? Oh I bet it was Cap, he's the only one with a copy of my key_. She shook her head, partly in disbelief and partly because she was touched that they had been thinking of her. The timer on her microwave dinged, and she stood up and checked her food, feeling that is was still not hot enough, popped it back in for two more minutes.

She pulled a coke from her fridge and took a fork out of the drawer while she waited. She was leaning against the counter, arms crossed, watching the timer. _How did I get so lucky, to find friends like them?_ she wondered, not really sure how to answer that question.

The timer went off and she pulled the now bubbling tamales out of the microwave, sitting down at the table to eat. "Oh my God, these are so good! Mamma makes the best," Karen mumbled aloud, enjoying every bite of the authentic Mexican food. Fifteen minutes later, she had polished off the whole container. She washed the dishes, making sure to set Mrs. Lopez' container aside to return to her, turned the lights off and headed back for her bedroom.

Karen straightened the pillows and sheets on the bed before she climbed back in. She debated whether to read or lay back down, sleep finally winning. She turned the light off and leaned back into her pillows. _Ahh, this feels so good. Better than Rampart any day_ , she thought to herself as she drifted off to sleep.

E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!

The guys weren't as lucky as Karen. Cap had called for lights out at ten. Just as the men had started to drift off, the alarms went off, turning the lights on in the dorm.

**"Station 51, Station 127, Station 8. Structure fire. 19417 Northwood Avenue. Cross street East Turmont Street. One-nine-four-one-seven Northwood Avenue. Time out 2025."**

Cap scribbled the address down twice before he acknowledged the call from the radio near his bed. "Station 51 KMG 365." He grabbed the two slips, handing one to Johnny before he jogged to his normal spot in the engine. Mike had Big Red already started and pulled out behind Roy and Johnny in the squad as they raced through the quiet streets of Carson to their destination.

Station 51 was the first on the scene, the house fully involved. "Chet, Marco, pull two inch and a halves!" Cap ordered as a man ran over, covered in soot and coughing. "I don't know what happened. We were in the living room when we smelled the smoke. By then the upstairs was on fire."

"Is there anyone else in the house?"

"No, everyone's out," the man replied, bending over to catch his breath. Cap waved the paramedics over. "John, Roy! Check the family out!"

"Right Cap!" Roy replied as Johnny escorted the father, mother and two pretty little girls over to the squad as Roy pulled out the oxygen and drug box.

The other companies arrived, directed around the house to surround and drown since the structure was a lost cause. The family was extremely lucky to be alive. Thankfully they were doing okay physically and just needed oxygen and to be checked out by their family physician. They sat beside the squad, watching their home continue to burn as the firefighters battled to put it out.

Roy and Johnny, after making sure the family was doing okay, joined their co-workers in the fight. They paired up with Chet and Marco, backing them up as they moved toward the front of the house. The two linesman had just made their way up the small staircase when the porch, made fragile by the heat and fire, collapsed, burying the two linesman of Station 51.

"Chet! Marco!" Johnny yelled as he and Roy turned the hoses off and began digging under the rubble of the porch. A couple of linesmen from Stations 8 and 127 helped the two paramedics dig for the buried men.

"I found one of them! Its Chet!" Roy yelled, moving the debris off the stocky Irishman. Chet was face down and not moving. Roy and Chris Evans from 8s picked up the unconscious man and moved him from the debris, heading towards the squad.

"I've got Marco!" Johnny shouted, uncovering the other unconscious man, who was also face down. Charlie Johnson from 127s helped Johnny pick up Marco and they followed Roy and Chris.

The two paramedics and two linesmen carefully laid their unconscious friends on the ground. Cap came running over a moment later, Chris and Charlie going back to finish fighting the fire.

"What the hell happened?" Cap asked, kneeling next to his paramedics. He had been told that two of his men were down and wanted to check on them personally since he was officially flipping out.

"The porch collapsed. Chet got clobbered in the head and his leg with a beam, which then took out Marco. They were then buried by the porch," Johnny explained as he and Roy started working on the two linesman.

"Are they going to be alright?" Cap queried, standing up and moving back a little bit so he wasn't in John and Roy's way. Roy was getting the vitals on the two men as Johnny opened the biophone so he could contact Rampart.

"I hope so Cap, I really hope so," Johnny responded, looking up and pausing a moment to convey his worry with his eyes to his captain. He then put his head back down before contacting Rampart.

As soon as Cap went back to the engine, Marco started to come to. He moaned quietly, his eyes opening a slit. "Hey Marco, good to see you awake."

"What happened?" Marco asked looking up into the worried face of his co-worker.

"You and Chet had the porch give way. You were buried but you're going to be fine," Roy replied, splinting the injured man's arm as Johnny sent the vitals to Rampart.

"How's Chet?" When he didn't get a response quickly enough he grabbed Roy's arm with his good hand. "Roy? How's Chet?"

Roy sighed, gently shaking Marco's hand off, finishing splinting his arm. "He's still unconscious Marco. He was hit pretty hard in the head by a falling beam. Plus he also has a broken leg."

Marco craned his neck to look around the senior paramedic at his best friend. He looks so still, too still for the Phantom. _Please amigo, please be alright_ , he thought to himself as Chet, who was already on a backboard, was laid on a gurney, Johnny helping the attendants.

Roy jogged over to his captain, whom he knew was watching as Marco and Chet were treated. "Cap, we're going in. Marco's going to be fine. He's awake and talking and it looks like all he got was a dislocated shoulder."

"What about Chet?"

Roy ran a hand through his strawberry blonde hair, exhaling forcefully. "He hasn't woken up. His leg is broken too. The doctors will take care of him Cap."

"I know Roy. The engine is going to be stood down since we'll have to bring in two replacements. But before Mike and I head to the barn, we'll run by Rampart to check on the guys." He clapped a hand on the paramedic's shoulder. "Take care of our boys Roy."

"We will Cap," Roy replied, hurrying back to the ambulance as Chet was lifted inside the vehicle, Marco right behind him on a stretcher. Johnny jumped into the back with Marco and Chet as Roy shut the doors and slapped them twice, then climbed into the squad and followed the ambulance to its destination.

Cap watched the ambulance carrying his men leave the scene. He sent a silent prayer heavenward as he and Mike began pulling in their gear.


	7. Chapter 7

Cap sat in his office in the dark for a few moments, his head in his hands. He, Mike, Roy and Johnny had been back to the station for about ten minutes, Dwyer and Sanders waiting for them when they had arrived. After filling the two men in, Cap sent all the guys to bed since they were exhausted.

After trying unsuccessfully to rub away the headache that was starting behind his eyes, Cap snapped the lamp on that was sitting at the corner of his desk. He knew he wouldn’t get any rest if he didn’t call and check on his men. So, he dialed a very familiar number.

“Rampart General Hospital, Dixie McCall speaking.”

“Hi Dixie, its Hank Stanley. I was checking on the boys before turning in.”

“They’re doing ok Hank. I just checked on them a few minutes ago. They’re resting comfortably.” She paused before adding, “We’ll take care of them, don’t worry Hank.”

Cap let out the breath he had been holding. “Thanks Dixie. I’m sure we’ll all be over as soon as we get off shift in the morning to check on them. Now I have one more call to make. Thanks for the update.”

He was about to hang up when Dixie asked, “Karen?”

“Yeah, Karen. I haven’t been able to reach her since Dr. Brackett called me this morning. I’m going to try again to let her know about the guys. I suspect she took her phone off the hook and fell asleep.”

“Let me know will you, in the morning? I have a sneaking suspicion that when she finds out about Marco and Chet she will try to make her way here to see them.”

Hank smiled momentarily; Dixie knew his crew so well. “I’ll do that Dixie, and thank you again for everything.” He hung the phone up, scrubbing the palms of his hands over his face. He yawned before picking the phone up and dialing his youngest paramedics number. He wasn’t surprised to hear the busy signal. He hung the phone up again, glancing down to his desk. _Oh Karen, we are going to have a talk about not putting your phone back on the hook_.

Cap stood up, turned the light off on his desk lamp and headed out of the office. He walked in front of the squad and engine, heading straight for the locker room. Apparently the others had decided to go to bed right away because no one was in the room. He grabbed some clean clothes and stripped off his smoke laden uniform.

He entered the shower, turning the water up to as hot as he could stand. His thoughts kept racing through his brain as he let the water pour over him. All he could think about was his two injured linemen in the hospital and his sick paramedic at her home. He scrubbed his hair and body, rinsing some of the acrid smoke smell off.

Once he was done, he got out of the shower, a towel tied around his waist as he walked over to his clothes, drying himself off. He put on his clean tee shirt and boxers, putting his dirty clothes in a bag then putting them into his locker.

He quietly walked into the dorm, hearing the steady rhythm of breathing from his men. He smiled, hearing some of them snoring softly. He arranged his bunker gear before pulling his sheets down, sliding between them. He sighed, the comfort of the bed allowing his body to relax as he covered up and turned to his side.

His last thoughts before he fell asleep was a prayer for his men in the hospital and for his youngest crew member.

E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E! E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!E!

Karen woke up with a start, seeing that it was no longer dark outside, but the sun was streaming into her room. She stretched, looking at her alarm clock. _Eleven-thirty! Wow I must have been really tired._ She swung her legs over the side of the bed, gingerly stood up, and promptly stumbled forward, almost falling in the process. _Man, I went too long without my pain pills._

Karen picked her medicine bottles up off the table and shuffled her way into the kitchen. _Coffee, coffee, coffee_ , she thought to herself as she made a strong pot of the wonderful smelling beverage, gulping down her antibiotic and pain medicine while she waited. She found a box of cereal and was mildly surprised to find some milk not out of date left in the fridge. She made herself a bowl of cereal as her coffee finished.

She was halfway through her bowl of cereal when she heard something at her front door. _What in the world? Who would be knocking, no make that pounding, on my door?_ She thought to herself as she left her cereal and limped to the door.

She looked through the peephole to see her commanding officer outside her door, looking like he could spit nails. _Oh no! I forgot to put the phone back on the hook!_ she thought frantically to herself, running one hand through her unruly hair as she unlocked her door, pulling it open. “Hi Cap,” she greeted meekly, motioning for him to enter her home.

Cap nodded as he strode in silently, guided his youngest crew member to the couch, sat her down and propped her feet up.

Karen watched as he shut the door then made is way over to the recliner next to the couch and sat down next to her. For her part, Karen was terrified. She had never really seen her captain as angry as he looked.

“Karen, did you take your phone off the hook?! I tried to call you last night and then this morning and each time the phone was busy,” he asked her, clasping his hands in his lap.

She bowed her head, her face flushing with embarrassment. “I’m sorry Cap. I wanted to get some sleep without the phone ringing. I didn‘t remember it until you knocked on my door.”

Cap scrubbed a hand over his face, the events of the previous night catching up with him. “You just had us all worried when I couldn’t reach you. And especially when we found out you had been released and you hadn’t told us. But I was trying to reach you to last night because I wanted to let you know that Marco and Chet had been injured at a fire. I really didn’t want you to hear about it from the TV or from someone else.”

“Oh my God! Are they okay? What happened?” she asked, leaping quickly to her feet, her face loosing all color that had been there earlier. To Cap, she looked dangerously close to passing out.

“Yes, they‘re okay. We had a house fire last night. They had the porch give way while they were attacking the beast. Chet was unconscious for about a half an hour, but then he came around. He has a concussion and a broken leg. Marco also has a concussion and a dislocated shoulder.”

“Oh thank God,” Karen breathed a sigh of relief, collapsing back into the couch. She then struggled to stand back up, finally making it to her feet as Cap helped her up.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Cap asked, watching as the injured paramedic began looking frantically around the room.

“I’ve gotta change! I’ve gotta go over there and see them!” she exclaimed, looking around for her keys. _I can’t believe this! Chet and Marco are hurt and I left the phone off the hook! I should’ve put it back!_ She had tears flowing down her face when Cap took her by the hand, guided her back to the couch and motioned for her to sit down.

“Karen they are going to be okay, I promise. But you’re not going to do them any favors by hurting yourself worse,” he said, directing her to lay back on the couch once again. _Dixie had her pegged. She knew Karen was going to want to see the guys._

Karen meekly laid back on the couch, Cap placing a couple of pillows under her injured leg. She could tell there was more coming from her commanding officer and she was pretty sure it had something to do with her leaving the hospital on her own.

“Okay, now that you’re sitting down again and comfortable I hope, I need you to answer a question that, not only myself but the guys at the station, three doctors and one head nurse want answered.”

Karen bowed her head, swallowing hard. _I’m in for it, might as well get it out of the way._ “I just didn’t want to put anyone out. It was a day you guys would be at work and JoAnne has two kids to get off to school and a part time job and Emily works an earlier shift.”

Cap put a hand up, silencing her for a moment. “I understand that you didn’t want to put any of us out, but we are here for you, no matter what. Any one of us would have worked it out with our wives, girlfriends or in Chet and Marco’s case, their moms. But its more than that. Dixie said you were a little more withdrawn when you were on your own in the hospital. She’s very concerned about you. We all are. I just want you to know that I’m here for you and so is Dixie and Emily, JoAnne and any of the guys. I want you to feel comfortable to come to any of us and talk when something is weighing on you.” Cap patted Karen’s good knee, his way of giving her his support.

She looked down to her hands, playing with the corner of the blanket that was on the back of her couch. “Thank you Cap. I know I can talk to any of you. I don’t know why I feel the way I do. I know you guys are there for me and that means the world to me. Just, sometimes, I get a little melancholy and I don’t like to be around any one when I feel that way. I am so sorry if I worried everyone. I just prefer to be on my own until the feelings pass. It seems that was the case these past few days.”

Cap smiled before getting serious again. “Was that the reason you took your phone off the hook?”

“Yes. I knew either Dixie or one of the doctors would be calling you at the station. I,” she stopped for a moment to collect her thoughts before finishing, “I didn’t want you guys yelling that I should have told you that I was being released and I really did want some time to get some rest.”

Cap sighed, sitting back in the recliner. “Karen, we weren’t going to yell or anything. We all were just concerned when Dr. Brackett called to tell us that you had left the hospital." He scrubbed his face with his hands. "We just want you to feel better, physically and emotionally. You can call any of us day or night. And I know Emily, JoAnne and even Mama Lopez feel the same way. Just don't shut us out, or you know the guys will kick in that door."

Karen laughed, "That's true." She then sighed and looked to Cap. "I really would like to go see Marco and Chet."

Cap leaned forward and patted her on the shoulder. "I know you do. But, from what Dixie said, they're doing okay. I suspect that at least Marco might be released today. He wasn't unconscious as long as Chet was."

"I understand, but for my peace of mind, I just need to see that they're okay."

Cap stood up, helping Karen stand as well. "Well, if it'll help you relax, then I'll help you get ready and we can go see them."

Karen looked positively giddy. "Really?! Yay!" she said, moving too quickly. She grabbed the edge of the couch and righted herself. "I'm going to get ready!"

Cap watched her head to her room to change and went about straightening her kitchen up.  
A few minutes later, Karen came out, dressed and ready to go.

"Ok, lets go," Cap said, taking her by the arm to keep her steady. Karen picked up her purse and keys and they left the apartment. 


End file.
